


No Justice, No Peace

by tess_genor



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Black Lives Matter, Canon Character of Color, Inspired by Real Events, Police Brutality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:28:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24928435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tess_genor/pseuds/tess_genor
Summary: After the death of George Floyd, people across the nation and around the world called for an end to police brutality and systematic oppression. Here's how I think and want Dani, JT, and Gil to have responded.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	No Justice, No Peace

**Author's Note:**

> Cop shows often glamorize being on the job. While in fiction it's easy to have officers who do their job properly, it can't be said the same for reality.

Dani hasn’t gotten much sleep these past few days. When she’s at work, she’s pushing past her emotional limits, and when she gets to be home all she does is watch the news and keep an eye on Twitter. Everything going on around her is horrific. She watches countless first and second hand accounts of misery and pain. First people were sick and dying, and now people are getting murdered. She feels _helpless_. This isn’t what she signed up for.

JT hasn’t spoken to Tally in three days. He won’t let her touch him. He can barely stand her looking at him. He knows what she is going to say. He’s already thinking it. This isn’t a world to raise a child in. JT is miserable. He wishes he could say that he hasn’t seen what the nation is screaming, but he _has_. JT thought he could change things, but no change has occurred in over a hundred years.

Gil sits in his office with the blinds shut and the door locked. He hasn’t left the precinct in 48 hours. Gil had to stand there on the street and watch as people of countless ages, races, and religions plead with him to do something. He’s under strict orders to stand his ground. Gil _can’t_ just stand by and do nothing. But he knows if he says he wants to do something, the higher ups are going to take that as a cue to escalate. A young woman kneeled at his feet today and begged him to kneel with her. He did and was called a traitor back in the break room.

Dani walks into work with tears tracking down her cheeks. JT’s bloodshot eyes are enough evidence to show that he’s been crying as much as she has. They drop their things at their desks and Dani sinks into her chair. Sitting on her desk is the picture from her academy graduation. JT is a few people over from her.

”We were so young then.” JT leans over her chair to look at the picture with her.

”We’re still young, just jaded.” Dani rubs at her eyes. JT rubs her back.

”We shouldn’t be. We should be full of life and helping people and instead-” JT tries to be gentle with Dani.

”We’re alive and countless people aren't. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin-” Dani is practically yelling. JT grabs her by the arm and leads her into the stairway.

”People are going to hear you.” JT shushes her.

”Good! They need to. JT, people like us are getting murdered every day by people with the same job as us. I don’t want that to be my legacy.” Dani hugs her stomach. She feels sick. “Did you see how they drove right into a crowd of people yesterday? So much for serving and protecting.”

”I really don’t want to go out those doors.” JT leans back against the wall and lightly hits his head against it a couple of times.

”You really think everyone else understands what’s going on? They’re all happy behind that Blue Wall of Silence. I’m sick of it. Any good we try to do here gets shut down.” JT looks down at his feet. His steel toed boots. All the riot gear is set up in another hallway to be grabbed as the teams head out. The people out there are in cloth masks and JT gets a full riot helmet. It’s not fair.

”What are you saying?” Dani isn’t mad. She just wants to make sure that she’s hearing JT correctly.

”I’m saying, I’m done. I’m telling Gil that I don’t want to be a part of this brotherhood anymore. I can’t stand out there and hold a Black Lives Matter sign in one hand and a canister of gas in the other.” JT is serious. His conviction floods into Dani.

”I’m with you.” She steps forward and grabs JT’s shoulder. “We do this together.”

JT nods. They know that they’re going to face some challenges. For starters, they’ll be out of a job. Their work friends are going to cut them off. But enough is enough and Dani and JT know it’s the right thing to do. Together, the two of them knock on Gil’s door and wait for him to unlock it.

Before Gil can tell them to come over to his desk, Dani closes the door and locks it again. Gil opens his mouth but Dani cuts him off. She’s worked up the courage and she’s not going to let anything he says stop her.

”I’m done, Gil. I’m quitting. I refuse to stand out there for another day and stand against all those people working for something I believe in.” She unclips her badge and unholsters her gun and places the two items into Gil’s hands. Gil looks over to JT.

”I’m here for the same reasons, boss. You were incredible to work with, but I’m out.” JT piles his badge and weapon on top of Dani’s.

The two detectives wait for Gil’s reply. Neither of them expect him to argue with them, but they don’t expect for him to hand them their stuff back. Dumbfounded, they hold their items while staring at Gil.

”I’m afraid this is basically a 10-90y.” Gil laughs and steps to the side to unblock JT and Dani’s view of his desk.

On it sit a few boxes filled with all the stuff that used to be on the shelves. As Dani looks around the room all of Gil’s personal touches are missing. JT checks Gil’s waist and sees his weapon missing too.

”I hear you, and I support the both of you. I handed my papers in two hours ago. I’m proud of the two of you for standing up for what you know is right and against a system that we fell into.” Gil smiles. He grabs Dani’s hand and JT’s arm. They refuse to be a cog in a machine that was never meant to work. They won’t play a part in a system designed to keep people down. They step outside and join the people they should be out there with. They look into the faces of the people they used to work with and smile. _This_ is how change happens.

**Author's Note:**

> If this made you uncomfortable, that's good. Let it sink in.  
> Just because it's not trending, doesn't mean it's over. Black Lives Matter. Find ways to help [here](https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/).  
> I yield my time, fuck you.


End file.
